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Light for 10-metre high walls and outdoor art
Shell House (now 1 Spring Street), Melbourne (completed: 1989)
An architectural masterpiece by famous Australian architect Harry Seidler. Originally known as Shell House, and built to house the Australian headquarters of the Dutch petroleum giant, the "Spring Street" building occupies a prominent corner site at the south-eastern tip of Melbourne's central business district. Like Grosvenor Place, the site presented the potential for marvellous views, and Seidler's concept consisted of a double curvature with an inner core housing lifts and technical installations. Insisting on including a shared public area, the bottom four levels are accessible and lit by the central building core. To simplify the reception hall lighting, Claude Engle's ideas led to the development of the double wallwasher - the glare-free single luminaire option for using uniform, reflected light in a confined space.
Today, a magnificent porcelain mural by artist Arthur Boyd adorns the lobby's 10-metre high lobby ceiling. Powerful ERCO recessed luminaires line the concrete ceiling spokes, while wallwashers set the scene for the mural and the reception area. A shell-shaped sculpture by sculptor Charles O. Perry has adorned the forecourt from the very beginning. Silver ERCO Tesis recessed floor luminaires form the perfect counterpart to the warm gold tone of the artwork.
Sculpture: Shell Mace, Charles Perry
